How does Naim ND streamers handle DSD files

Yes indeed, all three Naim streamers ND5, NDX and NDS support DSD format (single 2.8MHz rate DSF64 & DFF64 only) with software updates 4.3 and 4.4 by converting first to PCM.

Note that the V1 is the only Naim DAC featuring an asynchronous USB input. Although supporting in turn 5.6MHz rate DSD128, it is recognized to be slightly less resolving than nDAC or NDS.

I would personally stick to a Naim streamer and keep playing PCM, WAV or AAIF, instead of DSD64 files. As indicated in a post two years ago, I clearly preferred PCM over DSD offered by NDS update v4.3 at the time, on Podger's L'Estro Armonico. I found the Channel Classics native DSD64 file, yet converted to PCM 24/192 by Jared Sacks himself for Qobuz and downloaded as such from the latter's site, showing more PRaT, being a bit more forward with more relief and denser in timbre. The native DSD64 file downloaded directly from the Channels Classics site and played as such (therefore converted in situ to PCM by NDS update v4.3) a bit smoother and only a bit more transparent in the lower spectrum.  

Chag -

If I use upnp to play DSD64 1bit files stored on my auralic mini to my Nac-N272 it displays that it is indeed playing DSD64 1 bit files. 

I'm not disagreeing with Chag, as PCM - WAV in my case - is/can be more satisfying than DSD.  However I am a big DSD fan when the artist(s), genre, recording & processing are suited.   DSD (to me) is better suited to simple acoustic recordings made with single or very low number of microphones & when the recording is made in DSD (or similar) & has minimum post recording processing it can be very natural & quite stunning.   Single voice, coral, acoustic instruments, live & live studio are most suited.        For larger works, requiring multiple microphone on multitrack recordings typically needing a lot of post recording processing,  then I agree PCM based recording & processing give the better results.    Studios do convert PCM to DSD & its sometimes used in the production process,  I've yet to be convinced this is either good or bad,  but I'm unconvinced that it can be done successfully with consumer level (priced) products.  

And streaming my DSD64 albums from Synology NAS to NDX the NDX display indicates its DSD 2822,4kHz 5644kb/s 

Just listening to David Bowies. reality, displaying the same as you MIKE-B...DSD 2822.4/5644kb/s... 

steven2907 posted:

Just listening to David Bowies. reality, displaying the same as you MIKE-B...DSD 2822.4/5644kb/s... 

And to cut off the next question at the pass;  DSD64 means 64 times faster than CD   -   44.1kHz x 64 = 2822.4kHz & 2 channel = 5644kb/s

Yes indeed, while our Naim streamers recognize and indicate, via their screens or our tablets and phone applications, that a 2.8MHz DSD file is played, their DSPs convert that file into PCM before it is fed to their onboard DAC sections.  

Chag -

Chag... posted:

..............r DSPs convert that file into PCM before it is fed to their onboard DAC sections. 

The audio only stream is converted to 40bit/768kHz

My 272 handles DSD files very nicely,fed to it's analog inputs from my Teac pd-501 DSD player,which is true native DSD output.

Chag... posted:

Yes indeed, all three Naim streamers ND5, NDX and NDS support DSD format (single 2.8MHz rate DSF64 & DFF64 only) with software updates 4.3 and 4.4 by converting first to PCM.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong ... but "converting first to PCM" only tells half of the story (as I understand it).

The streamers (add the SuperUniti and NAC-N 272 to the list) do convert to PCM in a way, but its not like converting to 24/192 or 24/176.4 which you might do with a computer prior to passing the audio to a streamer.  What they do is convert the DSD (as well as PCM data) to the highest (oversampled) rate the DAC chips can handle.  At that point the audio data is neither really "PCM" nor "DSD".

So yes it converts to PCM, but that isn't the same as saying it converts DSD to WAV.